Portable desk



Aug. 10, 1954 A. K. MIRIIGIAN PORTABLE DESK Fil ed May 31, 1952 A m I INVENTOR. ASHOD K- M/R/G/A/V Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE DESK Ashod K. Mirigian, San Francisco, Calif. Application May 31, 1952, Serial No. 291,027

1 Claim. 1

The invention, in general, relates to writing equipment and more particularly relates to a convertible and portable desk unit affording requisite writing means usually unavailable or inadequate in many fields of endeavor.

Some attention heretofore has been given to the provision of writing facilities for periodic or temporary uses, such as by hospital patients for an occasional letter or by car-hops who are required constantly to travel from place to place recording desired data. These prior means, in the one instance, usually consist of a collapsible table or tray which is set up upon the patients bed and, in the other instance, consists of a board and clip combination which is carried about in the hand. The present invention is directed to an improved portable desk which can be readily set up and suspended on the body of the user thereby afiordingmuch needed support for the writing operation and which also affords a writing means which can be utilized by a hospital patient, whether confined to a bed or not as well as by those employed in commercial pursuits and industrial plants such as by time checkers, car checkers, statistical workers and the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a portable desk which is convertible for ready and convenient use either by a right hand or a left hand writer.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable desk of the indicated nature which is adjustable for fitting the body of persons of different heights whereby a persons normal writing position is afforded in all cases.

A still further object of my present invention is to provide an improved portable desk which is collapsible to a compact unit for convenient shipping or storing and which includes but a minimum of operable parts so that it can be set up and collapsed with simplicity, dispatch and ease.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiment shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the various parts thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claim, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, this view showing 2 in dotted lines a converted position of the supporting hook.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating the table portion thereof in collapsed condition- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and broken side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention, this view illustrating in enlarged detail and in cross section parts enabling collapse of the table portion and adjustably fixing the height of the support thereof.

Fi 4 is a view taken on the section line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In its preferred form, the portable desk of my present improvement preferably comprises a vertically adjustable and rotatably mounted rod, and a rigid table having a writing surface thereon pivotally secured to said rod.

As particularly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the annexed drawings, I provide a table supporting rod H which is preferably fabricated of lightweight metal tubing, such as an aluminum tube or the like, and which integrally carries a hook l2 for engaging upon the shoulder of a user. The rod II is supported for rotation about a vertical axis by means of a collar clamp l3 which is pierced by a set-screw M for tightening the rod H to the clamp in any selected one of a plurality of rotatable positions relative to the clamp. The collar clamp l3 also affords vertical adjustment of the rod II so that a portion [6 of the rod above the clamp 13 can be lengthened or shortened to accommodate persons of diiferent body heights. That is to say, to shorten the portion l6 of the rod to accommodate a short person with a hook l2 of the rod engageable snugly upon the shoulder of the short person, it is only necessary to loosen the set screw l4 and to move the entire rod ll downwardly relative to collar l3 and thereafter tighten the set screw I4 to clamp the rod in such lowered position. On the other hand to enable proper positioning of the desk upon a tall person the set screw I4 is again loosened and the rod H raised as an entirety thereby lengthening por tion 16 of the rod and enabling the hook l2 thereof snugly to engage the shoulder of such tall person, and thereafter tighten the set screw I4 again to fix the rod in such lengthened condition.

In accordance with my present invention, the improved portable desk includes a, planar writing surface which is afiorded by a block [1 preferably formed to a rectangular configuration and fabricated of relatively hard wood, although other suitable material such as metal, slate or a plastic substance can be used for fabricating the block if desired. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the annexed drawings, the block I! presents a planar upper surface 18 for a scribing board and the entire block conveniently is so mounted as to assume an inclination to the horizontal when in operative position for writing. In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, I have illustrated relatively simple yet effective means for accomplishing the foregoing ends as well as for effecting the collapse of the: block 11 so that the desk may be readily and conveniently stored in a limited space as well as to facilitate transportation thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. With particular reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be observed that I secure a bar l9 by means of a series of counter-sunk screws 2| to the underside of the block I! and preferably dispose such bar diagonally across the block from corner to corner, see Fig. 4. Bar I9 preferably is of rectangular cross-section so that its upper surface fits snugly against the under side of the block when screws 2| are tightened in position.

The reinforcing bar I9 is extended beyond the limit of block I! at a corner thereof as illustrated in Fig. 4', and such bar extension 22 is fitted between the opposed legs 23 and 24 of a bifurcated extension 26 of collar clamp l3. To afford a pivotal mounting of block i1 upon rod H, a pivot pin 2'? having threaded extremities thereon for receiving nuts 28, is inserted through the bar extension 22 as well as the legs 23 and 24 of clamp extension 26, and nuts 28 are applied to the terminals of the pivot pin and tightened to secure the bar l9 to the collar clamp It in pivotal relation. In addition, the collar clamp I3 is so constructed as to provide an abutment 2E3 thereon for limiting the pivotal swing of the block ll away from its collapsed position, see Fig. 2, and

thus to cause the lowering of the block I? to the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, or at an inclination to the horizontal, which facilitates the writing operation.

The disposition of the reinforcing bar [9 diagonally across the block ll from corner to corner, as well as the rotatable mounting of the rod it through the medium of collar clamp I3, and the provision of shoulder hook E2 on rod ll, renders the desk. convertible for use either by a left hand or a. right hand writer. The conversion is effected by a shifting of the block I! so as to cause either one edge or an adjacent edge to engage the body of the user. As shown by the full lines in Fig. 1, the desk is set up or arranged for use by a right hand writer with the edge 31 of the block ll engaging. the body of the user approximately at the waist-line and with the hook [2 of rod I lin position to be suspended from the left shoulder of the user, the hook l2 projecting rearwardly with respect to the block and at a right angle to the axis of the rod H. For use by a left hand writer, it is only necessary to shift the block ll 6 so as to bring block edge 32 adjacent to the body of the user which shifts the supportingrod H to the right side of the body instead of at the left, as before. The rod II is then rotated through in a clock-wise direction as indicated by the dotted line showing of hook l2 in Fig. 1, after first loosening set-screw l4 and then fixing the block in such shifted position by tightening the set-screw 14 again. On such shifting of block I! and rotation of rod II, the hook i2 is disposed rearwardly with respect to the block and at a right angle to the axis of the rod H, see dotted line showing of Fig. 1, so as. to be suspendable from the right shoulder of the user, instead of from the left shoulder as before. Thus, the desk can as readily be set up for writing by a left hand person as well as by a right hand person.

4 It: is to be understood that the appended claim is to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the. prior art.

I claim:

A convertible portable desk capable of being suspended from the left as well as from the right shoulder of the. bodyof a user, said desk con sisting of a block. having a planar upper surface, areinforcing bar secured to the underside of said block diagonally thereof from corner to corner, a bar extension on said reinforcing bar projecting linearly therewith and beyond the block at one corner thereof; said bar and bar extension presenting two adjacent edges of said block for engaging with the body of theuser uponsuspension of said block on the: persons: shoulder, a suspension. rod, a hook on said rod, and a pivotal rotational,.and vertically" adjustable mounting means for. said rod: on said block; said means consisting of. a unitary collar clamp. including a .pair of spaced plates. extending at right angles from the body of said clamp; said plates receiving said bar extension thereibetween, screws connecting. said bar extension between said plates with. the. body of said collarclamp in vertical position; said collar clamp having a bore extending vertically therethrough for passing said rod and permitting relative rotation between said. clamp and said rod, a. set-screw piercing said clamp and engaging said rod. for adjusting the height of said rod in relation to said block; rotation of said rodin one direction affording placement of said hook on the right shoulder of the user of the desk with one edge of said block adjacent to said bar extension engaging the abdomen of the user, andi'rotation of said v rod. in the: opposite direction affording the placement of said rod hook on the left shoulder of the. user with the. other adjacent edge of said block adjacent to said bar extension. engaging the abdomen of the user.

' References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 371,012 Webb Oct. 4, 1887 372,496 Small b. Nov. 1, 1887 607,496 Watson July 19, 1898 1,294,577. Wallerstedt Feb. 18, 1919 1,894,559 Fisher Jan. 1'7, 1933 

